Mexico weekly ledger., 1887-06-16
POINTS FROM the PEN.
An Interesting Letter from q Convict
Sent Up from This Ceuniy-Two
Holidays q Year.


Correspondence Of the Ledger,
PEsITEsTIARY, JEFF. CTY, Mo-,
June @, 18s7.-It Is useless for me
to enter upon a lengthy statement of
how pleased wss when / received
the LEDGER last Friday. / take 1t for
granted that you are cognizant Of the
fact that the LEDGER meets with as
hearty reception in the Pen as it
does, and should. with the good peo-
pie in the ''land OF the free and the
home Of the brave" Suffice it to say,
was waiting at the door when the mail
carrier came. along. and the way l
snatcbed that paper from him would
have surprised q cannibal. All the
boys are eager to read it, and pro-.
nonnce it the bestcounty paper pub
lished in the State. "When you are
done with the LEDGER, pass it to me,
is what they say. thereby showing
their appreciation for the "Great
Religious Weekly" Long life to
the LEDGER. Perhaps you would
like TO know what we ''cons" are
doing while you are drilling for oil,
and selling town lots. We are con-
stantly employed cutting stone to
enlarge the female workshop, and ex-
tension of wall around the stockade.
Have just completed the necessary
stone for electric light plant. Judg-
ing from the number of wires extend
ed in all directions, night will, in the
future, be total stranger in and
around this institution. Warden ID.
w. Marmaduke has accomplished
more in the way of improvements in
three years than one of his predeces-
sors did in eight years. His struct-
ures are all first class, fire proof and
chiefly stone. The 4th of July will
soon be here, then we prisoners will
eat pie and be given the liberty of
the yard. At s O'Clock we leave our
cells, form in line. and march to the
dining room, where good breakfast
is ready. After we demolish all the
eatables in sight, the Warden makes
US speech, then we are permitted
to 60 where we please (provided we
don't please to go over the walD.
Permission is given three or four of
our boys in striped disguise, to keep
stands, where everything good in the
eating line is sold for cash on sight.
The colored population are the only
ones that really enjoy penitentiary
holiday. The fiddle and banjo are
brought out, and the musicians take
their station where the sun shines
brightest, and the dance begins-and
such dance. l wish you could see
it, it beats circus. In lieu of dusky
damsels they convert the required
number into sham females. This is
accomplished by simply tying large
red handkerchief around his neck and
1 giving him some feminine name, ST.
ter which she takes her place in the
set. Then it is the fun begins ir
earnest. She hides hey face behind
her fan, tells her partner that her ms
says she is too young to have heaux
etc. Next in order comes the pugil.
lists, who, in imitation sof the great
John L. Sullivan, slug each other un
mercifully till one or the other il
knocked out, others take their place
and the smuggling goes on all day, Oh
till O'Clock. Then the bell rings
and we march to dinner, which con
sists of fresh meat, vegetables, Gran
berry sauce, pie, cake, lemonade. &c
From the dining room we go to ouI
cells, and the festivities of the glo
rious fourth are at an end. We ar,
allowed two holidsys-Christmas ant
July 4th., each year.
Joe Hicks, colored, whom you vii
remember was tried along with Natl
Faucet, Jake Muldrow and Emm.
Prilley, alias "Short and Dirty" TO
killing Inflow, is here for % years
Charge, highway robbery-sent from
Kansas City.
Respectfully yours,
CONVICT.